Pumps are normally controlled by a conventional control cabinet or panel located between the power supply and the pump. Such conventional control panels are designed to be manually set to supply power with a specific current, phase direction, etc. suitable for a specific pump. This is a problem as the operator has to be careful to do and monitor these settings every time a new pump is installed. If the settings are incorrect the pump will not work properly or may be damaged. It is advantageous if the pump also could be automatically monitored with respect to different operations parameters such as temperature, overheating, low voltage, etc.
If for instance one phase is gone the pump may continue to pump, but will require more power/current and will get overheated by time. In order to monitor problems in the pump, for example overheating, the cables between the pump and the conventional control panel must be replaced with cables comprising additional electrical wires for the signal transmitting or separate signal cables have to be used for this purpose and connected between the pump and the control panel. Conventional control panels may also comprise a level sensing device for the water to be pumped and connected by a separate cable to the control panel.
Different control panels have to be used depending on the power rating of the pump and it is not possible to use the same identical control panel for all pumps. The specific control panel is therefore often attached or stored adjacent to its respective pump. This makes the equipment complicated to handle for the user and there is a need for improvements in the systems with pumps and control panels.